Fire Season Has Come Early
Southern California got this year on record as one of the most driest winters this year in the chaparral environment. There was unusual rain that only came for 4 days in late January. And added onto the problem was the Santa Ana desert winds came earlier than expected. In one instant, 28000 acres of the Santa Monica mountains was caught one fire and blackened within one day. Multiple fires after that occurred just about 1 hour away from Los Angeles. For centuries, Spanish natives have purposely burnt down chaparral so that they can replenish the vegetation and provide better hunting for themselves. But scientists are impressed by how fast the chaparral environment can recover from such a tremendous fire. They finally figured out that a chemical called karrikins is created in the smoke when chaparral is set on fire. So when that chemical is released, it contacts the dormant seeds, attaches itself, then signals for the plant to start growing. From the chaparral fires, they have able to answer one of the "circle of life" plant questions and are now able to use what they know to develop plant varieties that are capable of maintaining and restoring other ecosystems.
If you want to know more, read here at
http://www.economist.com/blogs/babbage/2013/05/changing-chaparral
http://www.economist.com/blogs/babbage/2013/05/changing-chaparral